Nephrology Research Fellowship

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The Research Training is a major component in the Nephrology Fellowship. The Division is fortunate in having outstanding clinical, translational, and basic research opportunities. The Division has an exceptional faculty with over 20 NIH funded grants, placing the Division in the top ten in the country for research funding. Great attention is given to the fellows, with an active mentoring program and access to a Division Biostatistician. Opportunities are available for those who would like to pursue Masters of Public Health or a Masters of Clinical Investigation, and it is also possible to combine a PhD with training. Funding is provided in part by an NIH T32 Training Grant that has been in operation for over 30 years.

The first year of the program is dedicated to training in clinical nephrology. Fellows do have 4 weeks of elective time during the first year that is used to visit with potential mentors to begin planning for the 2nd and 3 rd year of training. The 2 nd and 3 rd year of training are supported by our T32 Training Grant.

Research Training Program: Fellows may choose from basic science, clinical science and translational science research. Fellows participate in weekly research conference and present their research on at least a yearly basis to the division. Additionally, the research fellows attend a monthly T32 Education Seminar. This takes place one-half day each month and is an interdisciplinary seminar series. Speakers include the T32 trainees themselves as well as faculty from both within and outside the Division. A monthly journal club is held during this seminar in which all the research fellows are expected to present a paper and actively participate. Research fellows also attend and present their research at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week. Fellows are also encouraged to attend and participate in the Department of Medicine Research Innovations Conference. This conference occurs on a weekly basis and provides trainees a snapshot of the research being performed in other Divisions. We encourage fellows to participate in additional course work and many choose to pursue a master’s degree or PhD.

Mentorship: Each fellow has a primary mentor that will oversee the research training. Fellows will meet with their mentor on at least a weekly basis. Each fellow also has a mentorship committee comprised of 3 faculty members in addition to the primary mentor. The goal of the committee is to help make the research experience a positive and successful one. The mentorship committee meets with the fellow and primary mentor at least twice a year to assess research progress, the mentor/mentee relationship and career development. Each fellow also records and monitor their research progress and career development activities through completion of Individual Development Plans and Self-Assessments.